Toy-rail joint.



PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

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JOSHUA L. COWEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOY-RAIL JOINT.

Application filed April 12, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSHUA L. COWEN, a citizen of the United States, andresident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy-Rail Joints, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail joints for toy railways, and isparticularly adapted for a toy railway track such as described in mycopending application Ser. No. 20,780.

In the manufacture of toy railwaysthe matter of cheapness ofconstruction is very important, and to attain that end I have describedand claimed in my copending application, above referred to, a railwaytrack in which the rails are drawn from the body of the track andintegral therewith. This leaves the rail with two substantially parallelside walls, and it therefore becomes a problem how to unite theadjoining rail sections without. necessitating the soldering of theuniting pin, or any other operation of this character which iscomparatively tedious and expensive.

In the improved joint, which constitutes the subject matter of thepresent invention, I form a socket adjacent to the abutting ends of therail sections out of the material of one of the parallel side walls ofthe latter. This is obtained in a simple and inexpensive manner bypunching a tongue from the side wall of the rail sections and bendingthe same inwardly. This tongue is formed with an upturned corner at theinner end thereof which serves as a limiting stop for the uniting pin.This upturned corner serves also to hug the pin more closely when therail sections are connected.

The various further objects and advantages will more fully appear fromthe following detailed description and the features of novelty will beparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an enlarged, fragmental, elevational view,partly in section, of adjoining rails in which is embodied my improvedjoint. Fig. 2 is a fragmental, plan view, partly in section, ofadjoining rails showing the rail joint. Fig. 3 is a partial sectiontaken along the line 33 of Fig. 1, showing the upturned inner end of thesocket. Fig. 4 is a fragmental, detail view, showing the outsideappearance of the socket.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

Serial No. 20,781;

My improved rail joint is adapted for use in connection with toyrailways of all descriptions, whether electrically, spring, or manuallyoperated. By way of complete illustration, I have shown a track having athird rail for electrically actuated cars, as obviously-such track couldalso be used in connection with spring or manually operated cars.Referring, therefore, particularly to the drawings, the adjoining pairsof rails l, 2, are drawn up out of the sheet metal road bed sections 3,so that the tread and web are formed hollow. Thus, a coupling or unitingpin 4 may be inserted in the adjoining rails. However, as the rails areformed with parallel walls, it is necessary to form a socket for theuniting pin, and this socket must be made in an operation involvingsmall expense, so as not to unduly increase the cost of the track. Tothis end, I punch a tongue 5 out of the wall 6 of the web adjacent eachend of the rail sections, and bend it inwardly between the walls 6, 7 ofthe web. The tongue is bent up closely adjacent to the tread of the railsection so as to constitute a tight socket for each end of the pin inthe adjoining rail sections. To secure a still tighter fit, and toprevent the pin from being forced beyond the inner end of the socket,the tongue is formed with an upturned corner 5, so that the inner end ofthe socket is more constricted than the outer portion, as clearly shownin Fig. 3. The ends of the pins are preferably reduced in diameter so asto be more easily inserted and to conform with the contour of thesocket. The ends of the pin are thus firmly held in the sockets, whichare positioned closely ad jacent the tread, so that the pins liecontiguous to the latter. In this way the rail sections are maintainedin true alinement when under load.

The joining of the third rail sections, 8, 9, which are employed forelectrically operated cars, is effected in the same manner as abovedescribed. Thus, there is a tongue 10 punched out of the web near eachend of the rail sections forming a socket, and a pin 11 is inserted inthe latter, making electrical connection between the third railsections.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a rail joint which is of avery simple construction and easily and cheaply manufactured. Nosoldering or other extrinsic means are necessary in the construction ofthe joint. The rail sections, by virtue of my improved joint, may beeffectively joined claim:

1. In combination with a sheet metal rail having a hollow tread and Web,a tongue bent'inwardly of the web adjacent the tread and forming asocket, and a pin held in said socket.

2. In combination with a sheet metal rail having a hollow tread and web,a tongue punched'out of one of the walls of the web and bent inwardlyadjacent the tread and forming a socket, and a pin held in said socket.7

3. In combination with a sheet metal rail having a hollow tread and Web,a tongue punched out of one of the walls of the web and bent inwardly ofthe latter adjacent the tread forming a socket, said tongue being formedwith an inner upturned corner, and a pin held in said socket andabutting said corner.

4. In combination with a sheet metal rail having a hollow tread and Web,a tongue punched out of one of the walls of the web and bent within theweb adjacent the tread to constitute a socket and formed with a taperinginner upturned corner to form a stop, and a pin adapted to be heldWithin said socket.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this2nd day of April A. D. 1915.

' JOSHUA L. COWEN.

Witnesses:

WM. I. COHE MINNIE S. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, i Washington, D. C.

